WHAT IS THIS DEAR READERS? AN UPDATE? DEAR GOD OF PANTLEGS!
Yes, I thought since summer had begun, I would have had more time in the nights to type up this story and update faster. But, of course, that didn't work out too well XD I've been busy with the summer weather and trying to get together with friends so I had to neglect the computer for pretty much everything else.
Okay, here is REAL PROGRESS. And I've set up the rest of the story in this chapter! -high-fives wall- I FEEL GOOD.
Disclaimer: Wesker is a natural blonde, no matter what rumors you hear.
The following day:
Alpha team worked steadily throughout the early morning hours. While there were many small tasks always needing to be done, it was the evening that mainly consisted of sitting at their desks, playing cards or waiting for a signal on the emergency broadcaster. It became evident that it was going to be a blackjack evening.
Jill, having finished maintenance duty, was returning to the S.T.A.R.S. office when a hand grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around.
"Claire? What are you doing here?"
The redhead blew a loose strand of hair out of her weary face. Alongside Claire was Joseph Frost, still maintaining both bandanna and wedding dress.
"Here, take him!" Claire sputtered breathlessly, throwing Joseph like a projectile in Jill's arms.
Jill was thankful for her quick reaction time, managing to catch Joseph and stand him upright. She digested Claire's appearance, and, if she was truthful, she looked like hell. "What happened to you?"
Claire jabbed an accusing finger in Joseph's direction. "THAT kept getting away from me and searched the whole city for priests! I still feel bad for that rabbai - Joseph just HAD to go and make him cry."
Jill changed the topic as swiftly as possible. "I'm sorry about leaving you with him yesterday. I didn't think he was this bad off."
"Well, whatever you guys did to him, reverse it," Claire's tone turned deadly, "now."
Taking note of the lethal look burning in Claire's eyes, Jill decided to move Joseph out of eyesight. "I'll see to that right away." Linking arms with the now-mute Frost, Jill turned to Claire and smiled. "Doing anything tonight? I heard you have some stories to tell about Europe."
"That I do," Claire chuckled, her tired face brightening. "I'll give you a call."
"Right. Oh, and thanks for delivering our package," Jill teased, gesturing to Joseph to her side. Claire simply shook her head and left the precinct.
Meanwhile...
Brad was one to keep his head down and not draw attention to himself. Yet, even the introverted Brad Vickers couldn't help but watch Wesker stare ahead absently, twisting the same piece of paper in his hands until it ripped in two. It was a sheer reminder of the power rippling underneath the flesh. It unnerved him a bit.
"Are you feeling okay, Captain?"
Wesker continued to stare ahead. His hands found another slip of paper and began to twist it to its limit. "Yes, just fine. Thank you for your concern, Bill."
"It's Brad."
"Right." Rip. "My apologies."
It was better to stay clear of the captain for the day. Even Chris, still sore for what occurred the day before, was wary to keep from being snarky with him. Whatever Wesker was musing on, it was bothering him. That alone made Chris feel better.
It didn't help Wesker's mood when Jill entered the office with Joseph attached to her hip.
"Do you think the alien race is responsible for the making of this dress?"
"If you mention that stupid wedding dress one more time, I swear-"
Jill was cut off by a low growl coming from the back of the room. The Alpha team members slowly looked at their captain, whose attention was solely on Joseph.
"That...thing is alive?" Wesker reproached, pronouncing each syllable slowly.
The others nodded cautiously.
Wesker pondered for a moment. He caved in. "The wedding dress?"
"He saw it in a thrift shop. He's been hunting down priests, rabbis and alien life-forms ever since he got loose."
"I think he's going to need a medical expert," Chris voiced.
"Right," Barry agreed. "Let's call Rebecca."
...
"Rebecca, are you my sister?"
"No, Joseph, I'm not your sister."
"...Can you pretend you are?"
Chris let his head fall back and groaned. "Rebecca, please tell us that you can something about this."
Rebecca gave Joseph another look-over while trying to get him to sit still. Finally, she saw the swelling on the back of his head. "Oh, this will be easy. Where's that stapler you hit him with, Captain?"
Once he successfully retrieved it, Wesker walked over to Rebecca, wielding the dented object in his hand. "Are you going to do what I think you are going to do?" he asked.
She nodded in response. "It's what they do in the movies."
"Can that object communicate with the alien beings above?" Joseph questioned, eying the stapler like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Yes, this stapler has the compacity to connect you with the mother-ship. Close your eyes and when you open them, you will be with the voices."
Joseph delusionally closed his eyes. "How do I know when I'm th-"
THWACK!
Joseph nearly fell off the chair and onto the ground. Rebecca quickly managed to shove him back on to the chair as his eyes fluttered open.
"Ugh," was the first thing he managed to utter, "my head...what happened?" He glanced down. "Why am I wearing a dress?"
"It's a long, painful story, my friend, one I'm sure you won't want to remember," Chris explained. "C'mon, I'll take you home; I don't think anyone will object if you rest today."
Rebecca intercepted them. "I'll give him a drive. His house is on the way."
Knowing Joseph was in safe hands, the others said their goodbyes as the medic and Alpha member left. When their attention returned to the current state of affairs, they realized their captain was getting ready to leave as well.
"I have an appointment booked," Wesker stated in a tone that warned against anyone asking questions. He grabbed his bag and neared the door. "Barry, you're in charge while I'm gone. My pager will be on so do not hesitate to alarm me of a situation. As for the rest of you, follow his orders."
Wesker left the room without looking back, closing the door behind him with finality. Alpha team was reduced to four members: Barry, Brad, Chris and Jill. The three men cracked jokes about what Wesker was really up to. They didn't notice that as they laughed, Jill kept her gaze locked on the door, a conflicted look dawning on her face.
"What do you think, Jill?"
Hearing her name tore her eyes from the door to the three grinning faces. Chris pointedly waved his hand in her direction. "Well, why do you think the Boss Man left in such a hurry?"
A biting comment lurked on the tip of her tongue but she thought better of it; she had begrudgingly forgiven Chris and didn't want to start another fight. So, she smiled.
"I wish I could say." With that said, Jill turned in her chair and stared at her desk, letting her fake smile dissolve.
...
One hour and twenty minutes later, Wesker emerged from the sperm bank. He moved like a robot to his car as if his mind was disconnected from his body. Once seated behind the wheel, Wesker pondered the consequences of his actions. He had willingly handed over what would soon create a child.
How can this stay a secret forever? How do you keep a curious child at bay?
One question lingered in his mind, and it made Wesker regret his hasty decision.
How do you pretend you are not a father?
...
When the door opened and Wesker returned, Jill's heart pounded like a drum. Her calm eyes shook with anticipation and uncertainty. Wesker, after observing it was only him and Jill in the S.T.A.R.S. office, met her stare. He only held it for a moment before striding by her and sitting at his desk. Jill stayed in place, not even turning to face him.
Neither said anything.
Jill wanted to ask him everything, but the stubborn streak in her refused to give in first. She sat in silence, only listening to the sounds of his chair creaking under his weight and the shuffling of papers.
"The genetics of my family have a history of being dominant."
Jill was as still as a statue, waiting with baited breath.
"Just..." She wanted to smirk at the mere thought of Wesker being flustered, or even worse, at a loss of what to say. "Don't be surprised if it comes out with blond hair."
Jill was left speechless, yet appreciative of his not-so-subtle confirmation that he went through with the donation. The person she often imagined as an evil man with little feeling was the same contradictory of a man who set her troubles at ease time and time again. She wondered who was graced with this side of him every day, let alone in tense and rare occasions.
Was there anyone?
"Never hurts to have a blondie in the family," she remarked, only loudly enough for him to barely hear. She waited for him to respond with an insult or sarcastic comment but received nothing.
In the silence, however, Jill still smiled a true smile, finally comforted that while Wesker was a wearer of masks, she was able to see underneath them and probe at the vulnerable human underneath. She was immune to masks, being one to wear them herself.
Jill stood up at her desk and faced her superior, trying to find the right words to voice her appreciation. "Captain..."
Wesker looked up from his work, a sign for her to continue.
Jill opened her mouth to speak when Chris, Brad and Barry entered, carrying take-out the three had ordered earlier.
"Here you go," Barry said in his booming voice, handing Jill her order, "chicken sub: whole wheat, no tomato."
"We asked for Jill sandwiches, but they had ran out."
Jill rolled her eyes at the over-used private joke and laughed. "Ha ha. Hilarious, Christopher."
Chris' grin dropped when he saw Wesker. He cleared his throat. "How'd your appointment go?"
"Fine."
That was all Chris needed to hear. Barry and Jill exchanged looks before sitting beside each other and eating. They had a tendency to stick close to each other and share their troubles, which Jill was thankful for. Barry became the father figure that was absent in her life. If there was one person she trusted with her life, it was him.
Chris sat down on the other side of Barry, as if he was using the large man as a barrier between himself and Jill. Brad was slower to come, only sitting beside Jill when she asked him to. The four, side-by-side, ate their food. Their captain opened a binder and went through a checklist.
It was a mundane, but somehow different workday.
...
"Okay, there's my eleven dollars gone. Now may we leave?"
A disgruntled Chris defeatedly let his cards fall on to the desk. Brad had rose triumphant in the last three games, leaving Chris and Barry out of pocket change. He hated to lose, but it was unlikely he would ever admit it. "Yeah, let's go."
From the background, Jill watched Chris stomp off with amusement. She knew that part of the reason he hated losing so many times in cards that night was because he had lost to Brad. The man was not as accepted in the group as all the others were; he often played the role of the outsider, something Jill both pitied and despised. It was satisfying to see Brad smile goodnaturedly, knowing he was the victor against someone who teased him mercilessly. Barry had been in on the cards as well, but he never took part in Brad's ridicule nor ever played the sore loser. Maybe it was because he was older and wiser than the rest, or maybe he just didn't care.
Barry followed Chris at the door, closely followed by Brad. As it always was as of late, Jill and Wesker remained. But this time, there was no revelations of the warped situation they found themselves swamped in; no fights involving bitter insults that crossed lines and so much sarcasm, it threatened to flood the room; no moment where they found each other on middle ground - there was only a stale silence that felt extremely absent compared to the sounds of life that were so imminent a few minutes before.
Her mind focused on Claire, Jill packed up her bag and headed to the locker room, ready to change out of uniform and track her friend down.
When the door closed and Wesker was finally alone, he let that dreaded stone mask he wore so often fall off. He snatched his sunglasses and flung them, ignoring that they were horribly expensive and that they landed on the floor harder than intended.
Wesker shook his head in disgust, scowling. "You're welcome."
...
"I still don't understand why you insist on staying with me."
"Can you believe this, Jill?" Claire scoffed, "I'm in Europe for, what, nearly a month? When I return - my brother tries to keep me at a distance!
"You were never so keen on bonding like this before."
"Well, being gone for so long tends to show you who you miss the most." Claire used her manipulative "dear little sister" powers and wrapped her arms around her older brother. "Of course, you would be at the top of that list."
Chris' resolve immediately began to weaken, and Claire and Jill took note of it. "Alright, alright; stay here if you want."
Jill saw Claire jubilantly smile and hug her brother even tighter. Something about that smile didn't sit right with her. It was too happy, too...relieved, she thought. No one would be that ecstatic to share a cramped apartment with their brother.
She heard Chris yawn loudly before he bid them both goodnight. As soon as he was in his bedroom, Claire landed on the couch beside Jill and entered rant mode: legs crossed, back propped up with pillows, arms and fingers ready to make any hand gestures ready.
Their conversation mainly surrounded the various places Claire saw and what she remembered vividly. She rambled on about the Colosseum in Rome and how she stood in the very spot Julius Caesar's body was burned. She mentioned her detour through Switzerland and the huge crowds of people in St. Petersburg. Jill listened intently, nodding at some points and laughing at others. She only wished she had the same experiences she did. Jill could barely remember the last time she went outside Raccoon City. Here she saw at age thirty, and she had only took one vacation out of the country her whole life. She wasn't exactly a well-traveled woman.
"That's not the best part though." Claire's eyes fogged over, as if she had translated into the nostalgia of her memories. "I met so many people - kinds of people I thought I never would get a chance to talk to. I don't think I will ever forget their faces..."
"You met people, huh? Are you sure you didn't meet someone?" Jill prodded, ready for any juicy information she could get.
Claire failed to suppress the uncharacteristically shy smile forming on her lips. "Yes, I did-"
"Chris' gone to bed - so you have no excuse not to give me all the details. Tell me all about him! What's he like?"
"...Unexpected...a surprise, really." The words came forced at first, but the nostalgia took over once again. "Blond hair, chilly blue eyes..."
Jill began to picture Wesker in her mind instead of Claire's supposed Prince Charming. She was flustered at the utter thought that she would be thinking of him when that was the last thing she wanted to do. She was with Claire to chat about nonsensical things like men and trips and parties, not to be constantly reminded of the man she could not stand yet owed so much to.
Why would I even begin to think about the way he looks at a time like this?
"Jill! Earth to Jill!"
"...am I up to date?"
"Uh, no."
"Oh," Jill bit her lip but perked up instantly. "Well, keep ranting. I'm all ears!"
Claire quirked an eyebrow but didn't press the matter. It was obvious she enjoyed talking about this mystery man very much. "I really think this is the first real, I dunno, love I've ever shared with someone."
"Will we be meeting this God of Testosterone or what?"
Claire fiddled with her hands, her eyes focusing on them instead of Jill. After a long pause, she spoke. "Actually...yes. In a few weeks."
Jill's eyes popped. "Really?" Claire nodded. "That should be interesting."
"I just hope you'll get along."
"Claire, I'm sure everyone will. Your brother may be protective, but he cares about your happiness more than anything else, you know that."
"Yeah," Claire said, softly. "I do."
Jill smiled, absently glancing at her wristwatch. The red numbers flashed 10:41 PM.
"Yikes, didn't mean to stay up this late!" Jill leapt from the couch, Claire following behind. Before she left, Jill couldn't help but ask: "If you don't me prying, why are you so desperate to stay over with Chris?"
"It's nothing!" Claire said a little too quickly. "It's not like I'm hiding an escaped convict or anything!"
Jill held up her hands, as if to defend herself. "Calm down, I was just wondering!"
Claire sighed. "It's just - you know how I mentioned how I met a lot of different kinds of people? Well, I didn't just see friendly faces and beautiful buildings. There was a lot of bad spots I had to steer clear of, and there was a lot of shifty people amidst the throngs of people. It just kind of brings you back to reality, you know?"
"Did anything happen to you?" Jill asked, concern replacing suspicion.
"No, nothing happened," Claire reassured. "But I'm not surprised so many people get hurt everyday."
Jill's mind more at ease, she gave her friend a hug and stood out in the hallway. "I'll see you soon then."
"'Night."
Jill didn't move until the apartment door closed and she heard the locks click. Claire was certainly right - there was enough crime in Raccoon City to show anyone that the world was filled with scum. But Jill was intrigued none the less. It wasn't only her life that was evolving, her friends' were as well. It was only then that it occurred to her just how fast time was beginning to fly by, and she wondered if she would be able to keep up.
Jill's appointment is dawning on us fast - will the next chapter finally be the chapter where our beloved Jilly gets inseminated? Is Claire hiding something? And Wesker seems less than pleased...
I know this chapter is lacking in humor, but I really wanted to get some development out of the way. I tried, but the next chapter should make up for it!
Hope you enjoyed!